1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of tensile strength testers, and more particularly to improved apparatus for testing the strength of a marginal seal provided between overlying and underlying materials of a container.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Containers, such as packages and pouches, have a wide variety of applications. Many of these contemplate that an overlying sheet material be sealed to an underlying or substrate material. Examples of there containers include food packages, containers for surgical instruments, parts of a general nature, and the like. The seals may be provided by a number of different techniques. For example, heat sealing and adhesive sealing are two popular techniques in widespread use.
In more recent years, it has become common to package surgical instruments in sterlized containers. These containers may be initially formed with an open unsealed side, to permit insertion of the instrument, after which opening is closed. The integrity of the seal in such medical applications is of paramount importance. In an effort to provide guides for manufacturers, standards have been developed. One such standard is a common tensile test. A portion of the package is cut out, and the sealed materials are pulled apart to determine the tensile strength of the seal. While this may have some acceptance, this test does not indicate the existence of a fault in some untested part of the seal. Accordingly, there is a need to test the strength of a seal along its entire length.